A LEGAL executive swaps the business wear for a sequin-encrusted skater dress each weekend to captain the England baton twirling team.

Danielle Mowlam, 26, has just returned from captaining the team at the four-day European Championship in Selestat near Strasbourg, in eastern France.

The team took home the silver medal and Danielle also made it to the finals of the individual event, finishing in eighth place.

She is now looking forward to the World Championship in Holland in July, where competitors from better-funded countries such as the USA are almost professional.

Danielle is a private client executive specialising in estate administration in the private client department of Blanchards Bailey LLP at its Blandford head office. She has been baton twirling since she was five.

She is a member of Oasis Twirlstars, one of the UK’s leading teams, and makes a 110-mile round trip to their Basingstoke base every Saturday and Sunday for 14 hours of training.

She likens her sport to rhythmic gymnastics and competes in around 14 competitions every year.

One piece of kit she rarely changes is her lucky baton which she has been using for years.

Now a veteran member of the squad and competing alongside teammates as young as 13, she has vowed not to retire until she has achieved everything she can.

She said: “I’d quite like to coach in the future, but until then I want to go on competing at the highest level for as long as I can. But it’s hard on the body – sometimes I can’t move for a couple of days after a training session.

“I absolutely love the sport and the massive commitment it requires is well worth it. To be named captain of England was a real honour.

“Some of my work colleagues think I’m a bit potty as when they go home for the night or weekend I’ve always got my bag packed to go to the gym or to more training.

“In fact, at the moment I’ve pretty much only got time for my baton twirling, work and studying for my exams.”

She is also in her third year of study to qualify as a chartered legal executive at Blanchards Bailey, which also has offices in Poundbury, Shaftesbury and Weymouth.